There is a recognized need to protect medical and dental practitioners from the risk of infection from blood-borne and other pathogens. Inadvertent penetration of the practitioner's skin and tissue by sharps occur from time to time during routine medical, dental, and laboratory procedures. Since human tissue can be easily punctured by needles and other medical instruments, the medical or dental practitioner is subjected to the risk of contamination by such diseases as staphylococcus, hepatitis, and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Finger coverings and hand protectors have long been used to help the wearer in carrying out special operations either in work or in sports, and their benefits are well known.
Surgical gloves are used by medical and dental practitioners to lessen the risk of transferring blood-borne and other pathogens during surgical and dental procedures. Surgical gloves, however, do not provide adequate protection from penetration of human tissue by sharps such as hypodermic needles, medical, dental and laboratory instruments, burs, and sharp projections of hard tissue and prostheses.
Adaptation of a suitable finger guard for use by a dentist during intraoral injections and during intraoral operations is complicated by the limited space within a mouth in which to insert fingers and necessary dental instruments, and is further complicated by the need of the dentist to be able to feel or palpate with his fingertips various surfaces within the mouth and the needle or instrument used.
R. Ames, et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,033 discloses a finger guard adapted to be placed over the fingers of a person for use while pinning garments, particularly diapers, on a baby. The finger guard comprises an elongated hollow body interconnected by side walls with an opening in one end to insert fingers therein. A guard rail is formed around the exterior surface of the finger guard, the finger guard insertable over the index and middle finger. The upper surface and guard rail are of hard material to deflect the point of a pin.
Brewer U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,828 discloses a finger protector for hair stylists' fingers including a wrist band joined by a joining portion to a two-finger protector, the two-finger protector having open ends for the fingers to extend through.
Sullivan, et. al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,245 discloses an armored glove finger comprising a rib knit tubular member having an open end and an end closed with a seam. The reinforcement patch and the seamless fabric element are each comprised of high tensile strength yarns. The armored glove finger may be assembled by folding the reinforcement patch over a finger and then inserting the seamless fabric element over the finger.
Pierce U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,372 discloses a barrier surgical glove, cot, or hand covering for protecting surgeons and health care workers including an integral trilaminar construction with continuous inner and outer barrier layers and a central foam layer. The trilaminar construction reduces the risk of a puncture through the glove.
Lyell U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,038 discloses a needle stop surgical instrument comprising a finger housing, a needle receiving space, and a handle. The finger housing receives a finger, the needle receiving space receives and guides a needle. The handle is grippable between the remaining fingers of the hand and the palm of the hand to allow maneuvering.
Beck U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,543 discloses surgical needle protection including surgical gloves having added thereto an impervious protective pad to a selected area of the surgical gloves, including the palm and fingertips.
Various other finger protection means are identified by reference in the foregoing patents, which references may be relevant to the subject invention.
In addition to the apparatus described, surgeons and medical practitioners sometimes attempt to reduce the risk of punctures by sharps and contamination by blood-borne and other pathogens by wearing two conventional surgeons' gloves on each hand.
The foregoing apparatus and methods are not entirely successful because increased thickness reduces the tactile sensation felt by the medical practitioner. In order to control the patient during a medical or dental procedure, it is often necessary to maintain tactile sensation to reduce the risk of inadvertent sharps penetration. It is also necessary to maintain tactile sensation during laboratory procedures and while handling contaminated sharps.